FTX to sell two-thirds of Anthropic stake for $884 million, with buyers including Jane Street and funds managed by Fidelity

by · The Block

Quick Take

  • Crypto exchange FTX is selling two-thirds of its stake in AI company Anthropic for $884 million, according to court documents.
  • The deals are with two dozen buyers, including Jane Street and Fidelity.

The estate of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX is selling two-thirds of its stake in AI company Anthropic for $884 million, according to court documents.

The estate plans to sell 29.5 million shares to 24 buyers. Chief among them is Abu Dhabi-based ATIC Third International Investment, which is making a $500 million purchase for 16.6 million shares.

Jane Street is shelling out $100 million on its purchase of 3.3 million shares, while funds managed by Fidelity are spending $50 million on 1.5 million shares. The sales are subject to court approval. 

After graduating from MIT in 2014, FTX's founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, worked as a trader at Jane Street for three years. 

Three years ago, FTX bought shares in Anthropic for $500 million. The 8% stake in the high-profile AI startup is now valued at more than $1 billion. FTX is selling the Anthropic shares as part of its bankruptcy proceedings, and funds from the sale will be used to help reimburse clients who lost money after the cryptocurrency exchange went bankrupt.

FTX ruled out selling to investors from Saudi Arabia, according to a report from CNBC, which cited anonymous sources.